The embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods for supporting the body weight of a patient. More particularly, the embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods for support track and power rail switching while supporting a trolley of a body weight support system.
Successfully delivering intensive yet safe gait therapy to individuals with significant walking deficits can present challenges to skilled therapists. In the acute stages of many neurological injuries such as stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or the like individuals often exhibit highly unstable walking patterns and poor endurance, making it difficult to safely practice gait for both the patient and therapist. Because of this, rehabilitation centers often move over-ground gait training to a treadmill where body-weight support systems can help minimize falls while raising the intensity of the training.
In some instances, body-weight supported treadmill training can promote gains in walking ability similar to or greater than conventional gait training. Unfortunately, there are few systems for transitioning patients from training on a treadmill to safe, weight-supported over-ground gait training. Furthermore, since a primary goal of most individuals with walking impairments is to walk in their homes and in their communities rather than on a treadmill, it is often desirable that therapeutic interventions targeting gait involve over-ground gait training (e.g., not on a treadmill). Some known over-ground gait support systems include a motorized trolley and rail system. The trolley in such systems is programmed to move along a rail system while following the subject's movement (e.g., supporting at least a portion of the subject's weight). In some such systems, the rail system is a closed loop or otherwise a single path along which the trolley moves. As such, some know rail systems do not allow for changing or switching of the rail system to allow the trolley to move along more than one predefined path, which can limit the therapeutic options during gait training. Moreover, such rail systems may lack a section of the rail system where one or more trolleys can be stored while not inhibiting or blocking a trolley moving along the rail system.
Thus, a need exists for improved apparatus and methods for support track and power rail switching while supporting a trolley of a body weight support system.